“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.”

It’s October in New England and it seems that no matter where you are in the Northeast, you can find spectacular displays of fall foliage. The fiery reds, warm golds and lush greens of fall are popping up everywhere from New York to Maine. Not wanting to miss out on a fall that was already being described as “vibrant” and “neon”, I booked a weekend with friends recently to explore the back roads of Vermont, a state that I had only seen under the cover of snow.

We set off on our two-day quest for fantastic fall foliage and weren’t disappointed. Neither the throngs of fellow leaf-peepers nor the forecast for rain slowed us down. We only had time to explore a few towns and villages during our short visit. But we were able to capture images of so many classic New England icons from stone walls and covered bridges to church steeples and village greens all in the stunning backdrop of Autumn’s eye-popping palette.

For my friends below the Mason-Dixon line who have a while longer to wait for their fall “peep shows”, here are some moments from my weekend in Vermont to hold you over. Happy leaf-peeping!

Stowe Community Church, Stowe, VT

The sun going down on Lake Champlain, Burlington, VT

Barn in Woodstock, VT

Shops along the village green in South Royalton, VT

Woodstock Middle Bridge, Woodstock, VT

Taftsville covered bridge right outside Woodstock, VT

Reflections of autumn in the North Hartland Lake near the Quechee Gorge in Quechee, VT

One of the many stone walls found in New England. This one lines the walkway of the Vermont Law School in South Royalton, VT

The Quechee Gorge drops down165 feet where the Ottauquechee River runs through. The river originates in the Green Mountains and flows through Killington and continues eastwardly in the Woodstock, Pomfret, Hartford and Hartland and Quechee.

Vibrant foliage surrounding buildings on the Vermont Law School Campus, South Royalton, VT